When South Florida hosted Super Bowl XLI in 2007, tourism officials and the Miami Dolphins knew the big game would be returning in 2010.

Today, when the region hosts its record 10th Super Bowl, there are no such assurances the game will be back.

Ever.

No doubt the NFL still is attracted to South Florida's usually warm and sunny February weather, beaches, nightclubs, restaurants and abundance of high-end hotel rooms.

But the league has made it clear that those amenities and the region's experience as a Super Bowl host are not enough. The 23-year-old Sun Life Stadium, despite a recent $250-million upgrade, has become overshadowed by newer and fancier venues, such as the Dallas Cowboys' new $1.2 billion palace or the $455 million Arizona Cardinals' home with its roof and retractable field.

Even the 35-year-old Louisiana Superdome, whose New Orleans Saints face the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV tonight, is getting a massive facelift that helped it beat out South Florida for the 2013 Super Bowl.

Last week, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell praised South Florida for its hosting of Super Bowl XLIV. "We've had a great experience and great history here, and we look forward to coming back." But he also noted that South Florida now has stiff rivals. "It is a competitive process as I have stated before. You have some great cities out there that want to host this event."

Goodell's message comes alarmingly close to thatof former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue's seven years ago in San Diego.

Just two days before Super Bowl XXXVII at the San Diego Chargers' Qualcomm Stadium in 2003, Tagliabue stunned local officials, saying the region would not get another Super Bowl without a new stadium. "I'm surprised we're here this week," he said at the time.

The Super Bowl has never been back.

"I think the reactions are pretty typical: 'How can you say that? We're the best city to host one in.' It's not just about the community," said Ky Snyder, who was president of the San Diego Super Bowl XXXVII Host Committee and is now athletic director at the University of San Diego. "If you can't do the game they way they want you to, they're not going to come back."

Officials in San Diego say they miss the $150 million in direct spending at local businesses, the charity events, and the bump in convention business they say comes from a Super Bowl.

The Chargers have been trying for years to build a new stadium and are narrowing down locations.

"I think maybe the politicians and certainly the media didn't take [Tagliabue] as seriously as they should have," said Ted Roth, an investment banker, who served as chairman of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce during San Diego's third and final Super Bowl. "Here we are seven years later and we don't get a mention as a potential location. If I have any advice from someone on the periphery, take it seriously. When it happens, it's not easy to get back."

South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee and Dolphins officials are hoping to avoid that fate.

Last month, the team unveiled renderings of a renovated stadium that include a partial roof over the seating bowl, but open over the field, and seats closer to the action. The roof would protect fans from the elements and prevent a repeat of Super Bowl XLI in 2007, when fans were drenched by torrential rains throughout the game.

Members of the host committee are examining how to pay for the upgrades. They haven't yet announced a price tag or asked the public for help, a shaky proposition in a community buried by job losses and the housing bust and already on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars for the Florida Marlins' ballpark. But they are considering tax dollars and say they want to gauge public support for remaining in the Super Bowl rotation.

The stadium needs lights to accommodate nighttime high-definition broadcasts, including the Super Bowl. With the Marlins leaving in 2012, Goodell said, the Dolphins have an opportunity to reconfigure the stadium as a football-only venue.

"He makes his case by saying, 'You guys are a shining star in the bunch, but there's a lot more shining stars out there,'" said Rodney Barreto, chairman of the host commitee. "The beauty is we're kind of victims of our own success. A lot of people saw us having a lot of revenue for our community, then everybody figured it out … If we don't spend the money we won't be in the mix."

What's clear is the NFL is no longer tied to landing in a warm weather locale.

The Super Bowl goes to Cowboys Stadium in Dallasnext year, followed by the Indianapolis Colts' new domed venue in 2012. South Florida is bidding for the 2014 game against Arizona, Tampa and the new open-air Meadowlands Stadium, opening this year in New Jersey. Team owners waived the requirements for a 50-degree average daily temperature or domed climate-controlled venue in granting the Meadowlands the right to bid for the game. The NFL's 32 team owners will pick the 2014 host site in May.

Not everyone is convinced the stadium needs renovating to attract future Super Bowls.

"I think Super Bowls are pretty much going to be awarded to teams that have new stadiums probably for the next four or five years. That's fair," said Nicki Grossman, president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau. "I think after that, the NFL, fans and the sport are going to look to be coming back to South Florida … A Super Bowl is not going to be awarded because we did or did not make improvements at the stadium."

But others don't want to take that chance. "I think it would be a shame if we were not able to host future Super Bowls," said Amaury Piedra, general manager of the Westin Beach Resort Fort Lauderdale, which served as the NFL headquarters hotel this week. "Because there is a large lingering impact, not just during those four days, but toward the future, just because of all the press involved, and getting the area out there in the world's eyes."